In 2009, We Spanned The Globe (And The Spotlight)

R&B singers Rihanna, left, and Chris Brown are seen at the MTV Movie Awards in June 2008. A physical altercation between the couple in early 2009 (for which Brown later pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge) is among the events that prompted Tell Me More listeners to share their personal stories of abuse and survival.
Stan Barouh/Woolly Mammoth
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Stan Barouh/Woolly Mammoth

I was happy to see a neighbor of mine last night, rather the daughter of my neighbors who has (as daughters are wont to do) gotten her degree and moved away. She came in for the holidays and she happens to be living in a city where I've done a number of stories this year. And so I asked her how things were going with her mayor and her city and she said, "Oh, I don't pay attention to any of that. I just go to my apartment to sleep."

And I get it! She's young! She has other things on her mind, things to do. And her things are not necessarily our things.

So it is with news stories.

As we close-in on the end of 2009, we are thinking about the stories and people that made an impact on us.

This is not a scientific process. Our list might not be yours. We've been talking terrorism, President Obama, health care, race relations, immigration and immigration reform, and the political situation in Iran, just to name a few.

We've also managed to squeeze in some stories about R&B singers Chris Brown and Rihanna focusing on domestic violence, other stories about love and relationships, as well as conversations about keeping kids protected from the H1N1, or swine flu, virus. (Not necessarily I that order!)

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"Nothing is assumed." That's the unofficial motto of Tell Me More, a Monday-Friday talk show with host Michel Martin. Grounded in lively interviewing and compelling storytelling, the program seeks to present diverse new voices, cross borders, challenge conventional wisdom and discover how other people think. Are you looking for a story you heard on air? They're all available on our program page.